Choctaw County, Mississippi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Choctaw County
U.S. county
French Camp. Historic Mississippi cabin.
Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi
Mississippi's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
Founded	1833
Named for	Choctaw people
Seat	Ackerman
Largest town	Ackerman
Area
• Total	420 sq mi (1,100 km2)
• Land	418 sq mi (1,080 km2)
• Water	1.7 sq mi (4 km2)  0.4%
Population  (2020)
• Total	8,246
• Density	19.63/sq mi (7.58/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	1st

Choctaw County is a county in the middle of Mississippi, a state in the United States. In 2020, about 8,246 people lived here. The Big Black River forms the northern edge of the county. This river flows southwest and eventually joins the Mississippi River. The main town and center of the county government is Ackerman.

The county is named after the Choctaw people. They are a group of Native Americans who lived in this area for a very long time. In 1830, the United States government passed the Indian Removal Act. This law forced the Choctaw people to leave their homes. They had to move west of the Mississippi River to a place called Indian Territory, which is now the state of Oklahoma.

History of Choctaw County

Choctaw County was one of the first counties created in central Mississippi. This happened after the Native American tribes were moved away. When it was first formed, it was much larger than it is today. As more people moved into the area, new counties were needed.

For example, in 1874, parts of Choctaw County were used to create Webster County. Other parts also became sections of Montgomery County and Grenada County.

The first county seat, or main town, was Greensboro. Later, Greensboro became part of Webster County. Eventually, Walthall, Mississippi became the county seat for Webster County. This caused Greensboro to shrink and eventually become an abandoned town.

Geography of Choctaw County

Choctaw County covers about 420 square miles. Most of this area, about 418 square miles, is land. Only a small part, about 1.7 square miles, is water. The Big Black River makes up the northern border of the county.

Neighboring Counties

• Webster County, Mississippi - to the north
• Oktibbeha County, Mississippi - to the east
• Winston County, Mississippi - to the southeast
• Attala County, Mississippi - to the southwest
• Montgomery County, Mississippi - to the west

Protected Natural Areas

• Natchez Trace Parkway (a part of it)
• Tombigbee National Forest (a part of it)

People in Choctaw County

The number of people living in Choctaw County has changed over time. There were big drops in population between 1910 and 1920, and again from 1940 to 1960. This was during a time known as the Great Migration. Many African Americans moved from the Southern states to find new jobs. They went to big industrial cities in the North and Midwest. Later, some moved to the West Coast for jobs in factories that made things for the military. Also, farming became more mechanized, meaning fewer people were needed for farm work.

2020 Census Information

In 2020, there were 8,246 people living in Choctaw County. These people lived in 3,228 households, and 2,010 of these were families.

2010 Census Information

In 2010, there were 8,543 people in the county.

• About 68.1% were White.
• About 30.2% were African American.
• A small number were Native American (0.3%), Asian (0.2%), or Pacific Islander (0.1%).
• About 1.1% were of two or more races.
• About 1.4% of the people were Hispanic or Latino.

Education in Choctaw County

Schools for Kids

The Choctaw County School District runs the public schools in the area. These include:

• Choctaw County High School
• Ackerman Elementary
• French Camp Elementary
• Weir Elementary

There is also a private school called French Camp Academy. It teaches students from 7th to 12th grade and is located in French Camp.

Colleges and Universities Nearby

Several colleges and universities are within about 60 miles of the county's center:

• East Mississippi Community College (with campuses in Columbus, Mayhew, and Scooba)
• Holmes Community College (with campuses in Goodman and Grenada)
• Mississippi State University (Starkville)
• Mississippi University for Women (Columbus)

Communities in Choctaw County

Towns

• Ackerman (This is the county seat)
• French Camp
• Mathiston (Most of this town is in Webster County)
• Weir

Small Unincorporated Communities

• Bywy
• Chester
• Reform

Old Ghost Towns

• Bankston
• Pigeon Roost

Famous People from Choctaw County

Many notable people have connections to Choctaw County:

• James Blackwood - A famous Gospel singer and a founder of The Blackwood Brothers quartet.
• Turner Catledge - He was the managing editor of The New York Times newspaper.
• David A. Chandler - A former Justice on the Supreme Court of Mississippi.
• James Plemon "J.P." Coleman - He was the 52nd Governor of Mississippi. He also served as a judge for the United States Court of Appeals.
• Thomas Fulton - A former conductor for the New York Metropolitan Opera.
• Dennis Johnson - A football player who played for the New York Giants and Buffalo Bills in the NFL.
• Kenneth Johnson - An NFL defensive back who played for the Green Bay Packers.
• Tony Kimbrough - A former professional football quarterback.
• Raymond Edwin "Ray" Mabus Jr. - He was the 60th Governor of Mississippi. He also served as the 75th United States Secretary of the Navy.
• Hoyt Ming - A well-known old-time fiddler.
• Alvin McKinley - An NFL defensive tackle who played for several teams, including the Carolina Panthers and Cleveland Browns.
• Roy Oswalt - A former Major League Baseball pitcher.
• Cheryl Prewitt - She was crowned Miss America in 1980 and Miss Mississippi in 1979.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Choctaw (Misisipi) para niños